


solace in a fluffball

by Snowblaze



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Animals are Adorable, Cats, Comfort, Cookies, Dogs, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends Purposely Cancelling Plans to Get Ships Together, Gen, Lucy gets a cat... and a dog, Pet Parents, Shelter Pets, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, no beta we die like men, police dogs, tw: mentions of kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21826087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowblaze/pseuds/Snowblaze
Summary: Pets help with coping, anxiety, and trauma. So, Lucy gets a pet… or two. Takes place a year or so post-2x10(note: the second chapter is where all ship-related stuff occurs)
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 115





	1. A Cat

Lucy was doing great.

Surprisingly, with how much she disliked therapy thanks to her parents, her therapist was good. They helped Lucy through the initial processing of her trauma and the following anxieties. They also helped her fight through her fears and become able to engage with dark spaces and enclosed spaces and not completely shut down in doing so.

But, as her therapist noted in their last session, Lucy still struggled with being alone.

Jackson had moved in with his boyfriend three months ago, leaving Lucy completely alone in the apartment. She tried to find a boyfriend, someone who could keep her company on her bad nights, but apparently the single guys of L.A. did not like having one of Lucy's fellow cops and friends watching them like a hawk the entire date.

There was no one to give Lucy that sense of safety in numbers, so she avoided sleeping in the apartment. But there are only so many times she can sleep in the police department breakroom before people start getting pushy.

Sure, some of her fellow officers gave her blankets and pillows and other forms of aide to help her sleep soundly, but she could only handle so much of the judgemental stares and whispers. 

She was supposed to be stronger than this, damnit.

But her therapist kindly reminded her that she only slept there because she felt safe, because she was not alone. And, besides, people can, as Lucy's therapist colorfully stated later on in her visit, “screw themselves if they think they can judge you for wanting to feel comforted.”

Her therapist, though, did give her a strange piece of advice after her last visit.

“Get a pet.” They had told her, plain and outright.

Lucy knew there were several benefits to getting an animal. They reduced anxiety, blood pressure, and helped with emotional bonding.

But she had never had a pet before. Did she want a cat? A dog? A fish?

She had texted Jackson as soon as she got out of the appointment, asking him what kind of pet she seemed to be the person for.

“You're a dog person. And a cat person.” He had responded, before shooting her a bunch of questions as to why she wanted to know.

She later texted John, who told her she was a cat person but could totally have a dog and rock both.

She had asked Tim after their following shift, and he told her she was definitely both a dog and a cat person.

So much for getting a conclusive answer. She was pretty sure she could only handle one animal, and was really sure she could only afford one. Although her official officer salary was better than when she was a rookie, animals were expensive. But the shelter was having a half-priced adoption day in honor of Thanksgiving, and Lucy had off.

Which is how she found herself waiting in line at the animal shelter and crossing off both dog and cat on her proposed adoption list. She was to hand in her forms and then, after 45 minutes, they would call her name and she would make her choice as to what animals she wanted.

When Lucy approached the counter, the receptionist took her forms with a gentle hand and gave her a sweet smile. “Dog and cat? Quite the animal lover, huh?” She remarked.

Lucy could not hold back a smile. “Yeah.”

“Any preference? Most people here want kittens and puppies, but I have a feeling that isn't for you,” the receptionist, whose name tag said “Delcy,” asked as she typed away on her computer, putting Lucy's information into the system.

Lucy had not given it much thought, but Delcy was right: she did not want a super young animal. She would not be able to take care of them properly with her job.

“Which cat has been here the longest?” Lucy asked, and Delcy looked up with a smirk.

“Well, many of our oldies have been adopted by lovely families today, but I believe our oldest here right now is a sweet lovebug named ‘Brownie.’ He's such a lapcat and he loves dogs. I think you two will be a good pair,” Delcy answered.

Lucy felt a sense of warmth flood her heart at the description of the tomcat. He seemed like the perfect match for her right now.

“Now, any preferences for the dog?” Delcy finished typing, stapling the forms together and putting them to the side.

Lucy shook her head no. Delcy nodded and gestured towards the halls where the animals were. “Have fun.” the receptionist stated, and Lucy gave her a gracious, “thank you,” before heading off in the direction of the cats.

After walking past many rooms of kittens, Lucy found herself at a room labeled “Oldies but Goldies.” She could not help but laugh.

Once she rubbed hand sanitizer over her hands, she opened the door. The two workers in the room smiled at her.

“Hi! Welcome to the room with our oldest cats and the cats that have been at our shelter for the longest. I'm Kat, with a K.” The lady to her right with bright, strawberry blonde hair and a kind face introduced herself.

“Is– is Brownie in here?” Lucy asked hesitantly, and Kat nodded.

The other worker took the tomcat out of his cage, and Lucy nearly melted.

He was the sweetest cat she had ever seen. He was some form of dark brown tabby and he had ocean blue eyes that conveyed complete content with the world. When the worker set Brownie on the floor, he immediately went up to Lucy and started rubbing against her legs.

She knelt down and pet him, and he started putting loudly.

Lucy knew this was definitely her cat.

“Do you like him?” The other worker in the room, another woman with curly, deep violet hair, asked softly.

“I love him.” Lucy lightly scratched his throat, and he looked up at her, giving her what she could only describe as the most adorable imitation of a smile she had ever seen.

“Can I say I want to adopt him now? I also want to see some dogs,” Lucy asked.

“Yes, you can! We'll put a sticker on his tag and, when you go up to the desk, it'll be official. But we can only hold for an hour,” Kat informed, and Lucy gave her a gracious smile.

“Thank you. Bye Brownie,” Lucy cooed to the cat before the violet-haired worker took him back into her arms and put him back into his cage.

Lucy left the cat section, walking into the dog section. She had taken one step in only to be nearly trampled by a litter of puppies trying to escape. Lucy giggled and pet the loving puppies, who were climbing up her and licking her face.

“Dang it! Gerald! Get the treats!” Someone yelled from down the hallway, bursting out of the room and to the herd of puppies.

“Sorry about them! Some kid left the latch undone and they love to explore.” The worker apologized as they attempted to wrangle the pups.

“Don't worry about it,” she laughed, “do you have any more older dogs?”

The worker shook his head no. “Sorry, someone just adopted our last not-puppy. It's weird; the puppies typically go first. But it's probably an opposite day here in the shelter.”

Lucy laughed, but it was not one of true elation. So much for getting everything she wanted that day. But she did get the perfect cat, and that thought brought a smile back to her face.

* * *

Six hours later, Lucy was relaxing on her couch. She had gotten food and a high-tech litter box that scooped for her from the PetSmart near the shelter, and Brownie was enjoying everything. He had eaten already and was currently curled up on her chest.

Lucy did not feel anxious. She was happy, and she was happy while being the only human around. It was exhilarating. She could not wait to tell her friends.

And her therapist. Definitely her therapist.


	2. A Dog, Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy hosts a "Meet the Cat" party. Tim is the only one who shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS SO OUT-OF-CHARACTER (OOC) I AM SO SORRY
> 
> It was a cute idea and I ran with it but this is not my best writing.

Lucy was curled up on the couch, waiting for Jackson, John, Nyla, and Tim to come over and meet Brownie.

She had made chocolate chip cookies for Jackson and Tim, oatmeal raisin cookies for Nyla and herself, and snickerdoodles for John and for Nyla to take home to Lila.

Unfortunately, Nyla had called her to say that Lila had gotten sick and she could not make it. Lucy understood. Stuff happens, and your daughter getting sick takes priority over a cat. But when Jackson and John had called to announce that they could not come because they had forgotten they were busy, Lucy became a lot less compassionate. This was not a last minute thing; she had collaborated with everyone a week before to find a day and time where everyone was free, and now they apparently had plans?

When her phone rang again, this time with Tim's contact flashing up on the screen, Lucy sighed and picked it up, expecting another rejection.

“You calling to cancel, too?” she said bitterly.

“Why would I cancel?”

“I don't know. Everyone else decided they couldn't make it, although Nyla is the only one with an actual reason. If you're still coming, I have enough cookies to feed us for the next week.”

Tim laughed. “I am. And I'm bringing a surprise.”

Lucy's eyebrows shot up as her mood began to lift. “A surprise? Will Brownie like it?” She pet the cat on her chest, who was purring so loud that Lucy was sure Tim could hear it through the phone.

“I think so.”

Lucy smiled. “So, what did you get me?”

Tim let out an exasperated sigh. “Won’t that ruin the surprise?”

“Tim Bradford, you cannot keep a secret to save your life: you know that,” Lucy teased.

She sensed Tim was about to respond with some snippy retort, but was cut off by the sound of a dog barking.

“Ada!” Tim admonished the dog, but it was too late. The cat, or more appropriately, dog, was out of the bag.

“Is that Ada? The dog from Narcotics? The dog we did that undercover op with back in Jan–” Lucy questioned, being cut off by another round of barks.

“Yeah. It's her. She got injured on a chase and Narcotics had to retire her,” Tim paused when Lucy winced. “Judy was looking for someone to take her in, since her handler couldn't have any more pets in his apartment. And you wanted a dog, so I got her.”

“You adopted a dog for me?” Lucy smiled, but the expression quickly diminished as the weight of her question hit her. Some friends adopted pets for their friends, yes, but Tim was not that kind of friend. Tim would adopt a pet for someone he was not only friendly with; he would do it for someone he was extremely close to, someone he lov–

Lucy's train of thought was thankfully halted by Tim’s voice breaking the silence: “I can take her, if you don't want her.”

“No– Tim, like I’d turn down a dog. Come on, bring her over. And if you like her that much, you are free to visit her, and me, anytime.”

“You? I see you everyday.”

“But your company is always… nice.” Was Lucy flirting? She felt like she was: and she failing epically at it.

“If you insist. And I'm at your building, buzz me up.”

Lucy held back a chuckle as she stood up and went to press the button by her door. Less than a minute later, Tim outside at her apartment with a familiar, beautiful German Shepherd/Border Collie mix trailing behind him.

She opened the door and, before she was able to let them in, Ada jumped over to her and placed her head against Lucy's knees. Lucy smiled and pet the dog, scratching behind Ada's ears lightly as Ada continued to push against her.

“Okay, Ada, come on. Tim can’t wait in the hallway forever.” Lucy faked a scolding tone as she backed up into her apartment, moving out of the doorway to let Tim in.

He smiled and walked in, setting the bag of dog food he was carrying onto the floor.

Brownie, finally deciding to wake up and walk in from his place on the couch, warily approached Tim. After taking a few timid sniffs of the air, Brownie quickly padded to Tim and rubbed against his legs.

Lucy looked over from her doorway and smile. “He likes you.”

“I gathered,” Tim replied.

As Lucy shut her apartment door, Ada took it upon herself to introduce herself to Brownie.

Tim backed away and towards the kitchen, hoping to escape what could turn into a nuclear situation. Watching him with a grin on her face, Lucy broke her gaze for a moment to look at her pets before following him into her kitchen.

“Why aren't you trying to protect your pets?” Tim jokingly asked as Lucy grabbed a random cookie from the racks.

She took a bite and turned towards the animals. “Food's in here. And they're gonna love each other. I have good taste.”

“I distinctly remember that I was the one who chose Ada,” Tim retorted.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Of course.” She finished her cookie before turning her attention back to her animals.

Brownie was sitting, his tail swishing behind him as Ada smelled him carefully. The tomcat seemed completely relaxed as the dog checked him out. The receptionist was right, Brownie did love dogs.

A few moments later, Ada sat next to Brownie and leaned down, lovingly licking his head.

Lucy smiled and grabbed a bag of chocolate chip cookies, turning to Tim. “Well, tonight was a success.”

Tim quirked an eyebrow. “What happened to the “Meeting Brownie’ party?”

“Everyone except you cancelled. There is no party. But, you get cookies.” She handed over the bag, and Tim smiled, shaking his head.

Ada decided to, once again, interrupt their conversation with a bark. It was beginning to become her trademark.

Lucy looked over and laughed. Brownie had plopped onto the dog food, signaling that it was time to eat, again.

“Did Ada eat before she got here?” Lucy asked as she went to the cabinet where she stored the cat food.

“Yep,” Tim answered.

Lucy scooped a heaping cupful of dry cat food into Brownie’s bowl, and the tomcat zoomed into the room to meow happily. She placed the bowl on the floor and Brownie began purring before padding over to eat joyfully.

Turning around to grab another oatmeal raisin cookie, Lucy stopped mid-twirl. “While my mind is on pet food, can you grab the dog food and put it next to the counter?”

Tim obeyed with only a small, teasing complaint of, “what, am I your errand boy now?” before going over to where he had placed the dog food and grabbing it.

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled. He was such a dork.

“Why did you get Brownie in the first place?” Tim asked after a moment.

“Because my therapist suggested it. And Brownie was the cutest cat there. Apparently, I've got a thing for blue eyes.”

Tim stopped putting away the dog food and turned to her.

Lucy could wink, but that would just be even more embarrassing. She felt like she was blushing; icing on top of the cake of her humiliation. When did she go back to flirting with him, again? And why now?

“Including mine?” Tim was playing along.

She should stop. She should stop right now. “Yep. In fact, out of everything in this room, your blue eyes were the first I fell for.” She did not stop. Of course she did not. That was not flirting anymore: that was a flat-out confession.

Her nerves practically melted away, though, when she saw the way Tim was looking at her: full of surprise, warmth, and– love? Was that love?

“You’re serious?” he asked genuinely.

Weakly smiling, she brushed her hair out of her face and glanced down. “Yep.”

Compiling whatever semblance of courage she had, Lucy took two steps towards Tim and, not to her surprise, met him halfway. She kissed him.

After a few moments, though, Ada started howling, changing the moment from one of seriousness and romance to one of hilarity.

Lucy pulled away and began giggling, “So, we’re pet parents now, huh?”

“We just kissed for the first time and we’re already parents? Moving a little fast, huh?” Tim teased.

“Moving a little– fine. We’re friends with joint pet custody. You get visitation every weekend–“

“–I thought you said I could visit you anytime.”

Lucy sighed jovially. “Oh my God. You’re not fine with pet parents or pet friends with joint custody. What do you want?”

“How about pet ‘we’ll see where this goes?’” Tim stated after a moment of thought.

Lucy smiled.

“That I can do.”


End file.
